Murray SawChuck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Murray SawChuck
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| Born | November 25, 1973 |
| Spouse(s) |
Chloe Louise Crawford
(m. 2012; div. 2015)Dani Elizabeth
(m. 2021) |
Murray John Sawchuck (born November 25, 1973), known as Murray SawChuck, is a super cool magician, comedian, and actor! He's also a host and an amazing illusionist.
He lives in Las Vegas and calls himself "The 'Dennis the Menace' of Magic." His shows are full of funny mistakes that turn into awesome magic tricks! You might have seen him on America's Got Talent. He is also the magic expert on the TV show Pawn Stars. Murray has appeared on many other shows like Celebracadabra, Reno 911!, and Last Comic Standing.
In 2018, the Mayor of Las Vegas, Carolyn Goodman, made November 25 "Murray the Magician Day." Murray used to have a show at the Tropicana Hotel and still travels the world performing.
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Growing Up with Magic
Murray John Sawchuck was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. His family has a long history of working with trains for over 150 years! His dad was also a musician, which inspired Murray's own showmanship.
Murray started learning music at age five, playing the accordion, keyboard, and saxophone. He also began Ukrainian dancing and other dance styles. He was very active in sports too.
When he was seven, his aunt and uncle gave him a Siegfried and Roy magic kit. Murray loved entertainers like Dean Martin and Lucille Ball. He started mixing magic, music, and dance into his own routines. He did his first paid show at a birthday party when he was just 11 years old! As a teenager, Murray performed five or six kids' shows every week for six years. He also worked many different jobs, like being a lifeguard. He later went to college and studied Broadcast Communications and Journalism.
Starting His Magic Career
Murray met Marvyn and Carol Roy, known as "Mr. Electric," who were famous magicians. They became his mentors. Murray began performing in Europe, with his first show in Brussels, Belgium. A big moment for him was performing in Paris, France, on a TV show called Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde. He also performed in Monaco and other parts of Europe.
After touring Canada, he moved to Las Vegas and became a headliner on the Las Vegas Strip. He also toured in South Asia, visiting places like Singapore and Hong Kong.
In 1999, Murray was named "Magic Champion" at the Pacific Rim Professional Magic Challenge. He has won over 24 awards and even earned the title of "World Champion." He was one of the first magicians to create a professional act using multiple CDs.
Murray became a US citizen in 2009. Around 2020, he started performing in the Las Vegas show Fantasy at the Luxor hotel. He performed a 15-minute act with Dani Elizabeth, a showgirl. He was part of the show until 2023.
TV Show Fun
Celebracadabra
In 2008, Murray was a magic coach on five episodes of the VH1 show Celebracadabra. On this show, magicians teamed up with celebrities to compete for the title of "Best Celebrity Magician." Murray worked with Kimberly Wyatt from the Pussycat Dolls.
America's Got Talent
In 2010, Murray was a contestant on the fifth season of America's Got Talent. The judges, Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne, and Howie Mandel, voted him into the semi-finals. Sharon Osbourne even gave him a standing ovation!
For the show, Murray performed amazing illusions. He made a car appear out of nowhere! He also transformed a woman in a cage into a live tiger, and then made the woman reappear next to the judges. One of his most famous tricks was making a 1918 steam train disappear. This train trick was a special tribute to his family's long history in the train industry. People loved his performances, saying he always made his magic bigger and better.
Pawn Stars
The History Channel show Pawn Stars often features Murray. He is the expert on old magic devices and tells everyone about their history. He also hosts the live Pawn Stars tour events that visit different cities.
The Jadagrace Show
In 2011, Murray filmed a role as "Murray the Magician" in a TV series for kids called The Jadagrace Show. He played a funny role in five episodes of the show, which starred 11-year-old Jadagrace Barry.
GLOW
Murray appeared in season 3, episode 4 of the show GLOW. He played a magician named Steve Mills, who was hired to make the show more exciting.
Masters of Illusion
In 2019, Murray performed in the duo 'Lefty and Murray SawChuck' on the show Masters of Illusion. Their episode was called "Perishing Piano, Mesmerizing Minds & a Little Red Ball."
Other TV Appearances
Murray has also been a guest star on many other TV shows. These include Reno 911!, Last Comic Standing, Celebrity Blind Date, and War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave. He also appeared on Wipeout in 2014 and Ryan's Mystery Playdate on Nickelodeon in 2019.
Magic Style
Murray SawChuck calls himself "The 'Dennis the Menace' of Magic." His shows are known for funny "mishaps" that lead to amazing illusions. He says his favorite magician is Cardini, who performed a long time ago.
Murray believes that magic needs to be smarter and more original, especially on TV. He sometimes works with wild animals in his shows. But he doesn't own them; he works with their trained owners.
Images for kids
